1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to a glass block panel system and a fabrication method of the same that allows the system to be pre-assembled and shipped to an installation location.
2. Background Art
Glass has many qualities that make it well-suited for use in windows, including transparency or translucency, hardness, imperviousness to the natural elements, insulating properties, and an ability to be formed into various shapes. Windows, walls, and other partitions have long been formed from glass blocks which admit the passage of light but, because of their thickness, do not permit a clear view of objects beyond the glass. Thus, glass block is ideal for any situation or setting where both natural illumination and privacy are important.
Individual glass blocks are assembled into glass block structures by attaching a material to the blocks that bonds the blocks together. This material typically is in the form of a mortar or a spacer adapted to provide a trough or groove between blocks into which caulking is placed.
The conventional construction of a glass brick structure using mortar is a task that requires a great deal of skill and experience. Without such experience, it is difficult to properly position the glass blocks so that they lie in level courses and so that they are securely held in place within the structure. The construction must also be carefully timed so that the mortar is not subjected to excessive weight before it is able to withstand such stress without being forced from between the blocks. These requirements substantially increase the expense and difficulty that attends the installation of a glass block structure. Further, glass brick structures fabricated using mortar are not flexible and do not adequately accommodate settling or other movements that may affect the structure.
The conventional construction of a glass block structure using a spacer also has its drawbacks. Notably, glass blocks tend to have slight variations in geometry that lead to construction difficulties related to spacers. Often, when two halves of a glass block are heated together, the halves do not match up. Thus, when the blocks are installed in a paneled structure, spacers may not create a sufficient seal between block layers due to the variations in the blocks. When the spacers do not seal the blocks and panels completely, water, dirt, pests, and the like may get into the structure through holes or gaps left in the faulty seal. Once water gets into the paneled structure, it pools at the bottom of the paneling and thereby fosters mold and unwanted discoloration. In addition, gaps in the seal lessen the insulating capability of the paneled structure because air may escape through the unwanted orifices.
A further drawback associated with construction of a glass block structure using spacers relates to burdensome fabrication methods corresponding to conventional framework and paneling assemblies. Because of the standard geometries of conventional framework/paneling assemblies, artisans are constrained in the mode of insertion of a glass block into the structure. That is, artisans have to insert the block vertically from the top of the structure. Artisans pre-apply caulking to the framework/paneling assembly prior to insertion of a glass block. Then as the block is longitudinally inserted into the framework/paneling from the top of the framework/paneling, the caulking is scraped and smashed down the length of the vertical frames/panels ultimately building up into an unwanted mass of residual sealant. Artisans then have to manage the removal and disposition of the resulting accumulation of caulking. Thus, conventional construction of glass block structures tends to be messy and arduous and artisans are restricted in the manner by which they may assemble the glass blocks.
Therefore, there exists a need to provide an improved flexible glass block panel system that is configured to prevent gaps and holes in the spacer seal and an improved method of fabrication of the glass block panel system that reduces the need to manage excessive sealant build-up and provides more efficient ways of inserting glass blocks into the structure.